Slimy Suspects: How Millipedes Likely Caused a Train Wreck

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In the event of a collision, there's usually someone to blame,
like a driver who's texting or is under the influence of drugs or
alcohol. But in a recent train collision in Australia, the usual
suspects were ruled out in favor of a less common culprit:
millipedes.

Hundreds of small black Portuguese millipedes (Ommatoiulus
moreletii) are the likely culprits in a train collision
north of Perth, Australia, which injured six passengers.
"Millipedes are one of the factors we are going to take into
account," David Hynes, spokesperson for the Public Transport
Authority of Western Australia, told
Reuters.

"What happened in previous instances is trains which were
traveling at speed have gone over an infestation, crushed them
and made the tracks slimy," Hynes said. "The train loses traction
and the train has slipped."

Millipedes aren't the only small animals that can create
hazardous travel conditions. Midges, the flying insects known as
bloodworms in their larval stage, have a habit of dying by
the millions on roadways, where their bodies can make the road
surface too slippery for cars and trucks to travel safely.
[ See
Photos of the Leggiest Millipedes ]

Earthworms, toads and even turtles have been cited as causing
dangerously slippery road conditions. In some areas like Florida,
the problem has grown so severe that tunnels and culverts have
been constructed to reduce the roadkill problem and make driving
safer.

The black millipedes in Australia are native to Portugal, but
were introduced Down Under in 1953; they spread rapidly and are
now viewed as invasive pests. When threatened, the millipedes
secrete a foul-smelling fluid that contains hydrogen cyanide that
can stain anything it touches and is very irritating to mucous
membranes, especially around the eyes.

Because they favor moist environments, the millipedes sometimes
cluster on damp roadways and train tracks. In 2009, they overran
train tracks near Melbourne, Australia, forcing the cancellation
and delay of several trains. "When the trains run over them, they
get squashed and can interfere with our signaling because the
equipment is so sensitive," a railway spokesman told
The Age.